After violent protests, military coup overthrows Sudanese president

The Sudanese army overthrows President Omar Bashir of all fees after weeks of events, inform the agency Reuters and the Lebanese media Mayadeen citing government sources. The Sudanese army has announced that it will soon issue an "important statement" in Khartoum, capital of the country, where thousands of protesters keep their concentration in front of government offices demanding the resignation of Bashir.

It was also reported that an emergency meeting of the country's armed forces had taken place and that an interim council would have been chaired by the current first vice president, Awad Ibn Auf. According to the Russian agency Sputnik, Military vehicles carrying troops entered the early hours of Thursday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and the official residence of Bashir.

About Al Bashir weighs a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide and crimes against humanity for alleged violations committed in Darfur province. Until now, he has escaped prosecution by avoiding arrests by visiting only the allied countries.

According to the organization, at least 60 people have died in the context of the government crackdown on protests that have been taking place since December 2018 against Omar Hbadan al Bashir. Doctors for Human Rights (PHR), who denounced the fact that "peaceful protesters are attacked by security forces" and that "a disproportionate, unnecessary and sometimes deadly force is used".

The organization accused the Bashir government of having committed "Mbadive violations of human rights"including arresting protesters without charge and denying them access to their relatives or the medical care they needed. "Security forces prevented medical personnel from treating the wounded, and in many cases arrested and detained these people, carried out raids and attacked medical facilities, and even attacked, injured and killed medical workers while that they carried carried out their duties or participated in the protest movement, "they add.

Last week, PHR also denounced the torture of detainees during the protests and called on the government to "immediately stop attacks on medical personnel, to release detainees for whom no charges have been laid and to be guaranteed. the protection of premises ". medical. "In addition, he asked that "to hold government members and security forces responsible for these crimes to account and to demand justice for the victims."

In recent weeks, Al Bashir has described as "legitimate" the demands of the participants in the protests, which have been reduced since the promulgation of the state emergency in February. In addition, he accused some of the protesters of destroying public and private properties and disturbing public order, while accusing some parties of taking advantage of demonstrations to carry out an "exclusive program". ".

Al Bashir – in power since he led a coup d'etat in 1989 – blame the demonstrations to foreign "agents" and challenged his rivals to try to take power through the ballot boxes. He also warned that he would not allow any "Arab Spring", in reference to the wave of protests that rocked the Middle East and North Africa in 2011.

The protests began last December, after the government decided to raise commodity prices. Bashir decreed in late February the state of emergency in the country for a year, which banned any form of demonstration, and announced the dissolution of the Cabinet. In addition, he has deferred an amendment to the Constitution that would allow him to run again in the presidential elections of 2020, when his second and last mandate will expire.

S.D.